ETHIOPIA: Amnesty calls for release of imprisoned Ethiopian politician

Rights group Amnesty International has called on the Ethiopian government to release a top opposition politician Yonatan Tesfaye who is facing what it describes as "trumped-up charges".

Rights groups say that more than 200 people have died during the protests in Oromia, a figure the government disputes

Mr Yonatan was arrested last December but was only charged on Wednesday.

He is facing 11 charges, among them inciting violence and being a ringleader for violent demonstrations, the AFP news agency reports.

They relate to comments he made on Facebook when discussing protests in Ethiopia's Oromia region.

In one post he accused the governing EPRDF party of using "force against the people instead of using peaceful discussion with the public", AFP says.

BBC Africa